Administrative Law & Processes updates in Spain
Arrested in Spain - can I go back?
Minor CrimesWhen a person is arrested for the commission of a minor crime, they do not need a lawyer. In these cases, being assisted by a lawyer is not mandatory, it is optional, although it is always recommended when a foreigner is involved. Therefore, you do not have the right to a public defender (unless you expressly request... Read More
Spanish Marriage Certificates
The Spanish Marriage Certificate is a document issued by the Civil Registry manager, which certifies the act of marriage and the date, time and locality it took place. Digital marriage certificates can also be issued with a digital stamp from the Department of Registries and Notaries reflecting the data in the central databas... Read More
Criminal Record Check Spain
The Spanish Criminal or Police Record is a Certification issued by the Spanish Ministry of Justice, confirming whether a person has a “NOT CANCELLED” criminal offence after conviction by a Spanish Criminal Court OR NOT. It contains convictions for all crimes (delitos) and also misdemeanours (delitos leves).Spanish Criminal R... Read More
Missed Court date in Spain
A common occurrence in Spain is that a non-resident who has been arrested in Spain and then freed on remand, misses a court date. Normally this is because of problems relating to communicating the court dates to defendants who live abroad, difficulties in travelling to Spain to appear in the court proceedings etc. In those case... Read More
How to get an official Spanish Birth Certificate
The Spanish birth certificate (Certificado de nacimiento) is a document issued by the Registrar or acting Registrar of the corresponding Civil Register (Registro civil) or Consular Register (Registro consular) which certifies the birth, the date it occurred, as well as the gender and, when appropriate the time of the birth and t... Read More
Legalised Marriage Certificates
What is a Legalised Marriage Certificate?A legalised marriage certificate is an 'authorised' legitimate copy of a marriage certificate.To obtain a legalised certificate requires an authorised copy to be ordered from the registry office and then the Government Foreign Office or Foreign Affairs department in the relevant country a... Read More
Opening a Bank Account in Spain? Do you need to bother?
Banking services in SpainSimilar to other countries, the Spanish banking system has seen a wave of consolidation with some banks being taken over by bigger rivals and the number of local branches being reduced in an effort to reduce costs and - so the banks say - to reflect better the way clients use their Spanish bank accounts ... Read More